This winter, instructor Mayee Futterman will be teaching Chinese Brush Painting at our Westwood center. Mayee brings years of experience and artistic inspiration to the classroom. We chatted with her about the history of this art form, and how you can get started creating unique and beautiful works of your own.

Can you describe your history with Chinese Brush Painting and how you got started?

I have been an artist all my life. As a young girl, I loved to draw. I became an architect and discovered the power of design, materials, and structure. Then, the birth of our son rocked my world. It rearranged my life, career, and mindset. “Mayee, Interrupted.” Motherhood taught me three things: to go with the flow, to know the beauty of the female body, and to love unconditionally. But before I knew it, I was no longer the sun of my son’s universe. Again, time came for change. “Mom, you have vision. Now execute.”

The Chinese characters for měi 美 meaning “beauty” and yí 怡 meaning “ease” represent my name. To me, they convey the essence of the art I love: the joyful expression of sublime beauty, with the natural ease of a dancing brush. Graceful yet bold, deliberate yet free, Chinese Brush Painting bridges my duality—the bold austerity of the architect with the sensuous grace of motherhood.

My mother’s first household purchase as a newlywed was not a bed, pots and pans, or any practical necessities. With her small savings, she bought an exquisite Chinese blue and white porcelain jar with images of Phoenix, Dragon, and Peony. My childhood was deeply infused with Chinese and Philippine influences that inspired my aesthetic sensibilities. I too began my love affair with Chinese Brush Painting the year I was married.

Chinese Brush Painting is the foundation of all oriental brush arts and has strongly influenced Western painting. An extension of Chinese calligraphy or brush writing, no other art form emphasizes the mastery of brushwork. My art and teaching are strongly founded on classical Chinese Brush Painting skills, techniques, philosophy, and subject matter. I teach a range of approaches from traditional to contemporary. I draw influences from my multi-cultural experience and bring a rigor and aesthetic sensibility from my architecture and urban design background. My approach is suitable for beginning through advanced students.

Like UCLA Extension students, my first exploration into Chinese Brush Painting was through continuing education. For over two decades, I studied and apprenticed under professor and master artist, Dr. Ning Yeh. I serve as teaching assistant and co-authored five of his instructional art books including “108 Flowers: Brush Painting Lessons Volumes 1-4” and “Landscape Lessons.” I have a Master of Architecture II from UCLA and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines. My work is in various corporate and private collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. I have traveled to China numerous times to study and paint.

I am excited to teach at UCLA Extension because my own life changes and transformative experiences are aligned with their vision to “engage education to transform lives” and “to create extraordinary learning experiences for adults of all ages.” In brush painting (as in life), the first stroke is a “happening.” The rest are a series of adjustments building upon previous ones. Whether one is undergoing a career change, enhancing skills, or engaged in lifelong learning, Chinese Brush Painting is an enlightening practice in embracing change.

Tell us about an especially rewarding project you’ve worked on and why you enjoyed it so much.

My first art commission was to produce a large wall mural for the lobby of a new medical facility. Unfortunately, oversized handmade rice paper is no longer produced. My teacher offered, “This paper was my father’s. I’ve been saving it—for when I get better.” The sheets were a treasure. The master himself considered them too precious to use. “There are only 20 sheets. You take 10.” I was stunned. How could I possibly paint on these?

The paper had aged to a fine perfection, every stroke a sensual delight. When I tell this story, people inevitably ask, “How many sheets did it take to get it right?” I respond, “Was there any room for error?”

The giant mural and over 30 of my works are permanently displayed at the Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health (Women’s Center), a comprehensive, state-of-the-art facility in downtown Los Angeles dedicated to providing high quality, compassionate care for the health and well being of women through all life stages.

Shortly after the center opened, I got calls for additional paintings. “Some patients come in with severe emotional and physical distress. Many are facing terminal conditions. Seeing your art brings them ease and comfort.” I too have worn a patient’s gown and sat in the waiting room with other patients—and with my art. I have often contemplated the value and purpose of art in human lives.

The Women’s Center project was my awakening to the positive and life-affirming influence of my art. It gave me the confidence and conviction to share the beauty, joy, inspiration, and knowledge of Chinese Brush Painting with others. That single sheet of rice paper was a defining moment in my life. I have 9 sheets left—for when I get better.

Why is it important to you to teach this art form?

What makes Chinese Brush Painting unique? “The Four Treasures”—brush, ink stick, ink stone, and rice paper—have defined this art form for thousands of years. The Chinese brush is graceful, supple, and bounces to a lively point. When in tune with the artist’s spirit, it dances to the rhythm of the universe. Rice paper is sensitive, honest, and responsive. It absorbs every move, thought, and emotion. Once a stroke is delivered, it cannot be changed or covered up. The ink stone is the playground where ink meets water. The play of ink and water is the yin and yang of brush painting—the harmonious integration of contrasting elements resulting in a sense of equilibrium and tranquility. Together, the lively interaction of brush, ink, water, and rice paper is a transformative and enlightening experience.

Xiěyì寫意, the spontaneous style of Chinese Brush Painting, means “to depict an idea.” Executed in a lively, simple, and speedy manner, one expresses the spirit and essence of a subject rather than its realistic detail. The artist is at one with the subject, and the painting is a medium for self-expression and self-discovery.

As a student of Chinese Brush Painting, I am on a never-ending journey of learning. Sharing the knowledge with others is the most inspiring and energizing way to learn. Why is it important to me to teach this art form?

It is a way of life. The theory of Chinese Brush Painting is also the philosophy of life. It gives meaning and connection to the world beyond one’s self. It is life-affirming and life-changing for both the artist and the viewer.

We live a multi-cultural life with valuable and meaningful influences. I have a deep appreciation, understanding, and passion for this medium. Teaching others preserves the tradition and advances the art.

It deepens the artist’s skill set and broadens their perspective. Chinese Brush Painting is an important genre in the history and development of art. Mastery of the brush empowers artists of any medium.

It is fun. The sensation of stroking the Chinese brush to rice paper is like no other. It awakens all the senses. The whole person—mind, heart, body, and spirit—engages in this process. It is one’s “happy place.”

The creative process is regenerative and rejuvenating. In Chinese Brush Painting, every sheet of rice paper is a fresh beginning. Every brush stroke is loaded with joyful anticipation. One is in a state of eternal spring.

What can students expect from your class?

In this class, students will unlock the treasures, experience the beauty, discover the essence, and share the joy of Chinese Brush Painting.

They will learn the basics of Chinese Brush Painting through hands-on instruction, complete compositions, handouts, and discussion including:

Gain an overview of the history, philosophy, and aesthetic concepts.

Understand the proper selection, care, preparation, and use of traditional materials.

Perform the basic skills and techniques for brush strokes including line work, texture, shading, and washes on floral, creatures, and landscape subjects.

Engage in a dialog about the principles of design and composition and methods of critique.

After taking this class, students can enjoy the following outcomes:

Demonstrate general knowledge, preparation, and proper use of brushes, paper, ink, and colors.

Apply key elements of design and composition to produce original images.

In the budding stage, the sunflower faces the sun and follows it’s movement across the sky. As it matures, it settles into a fixed position. My teacher says, “The desire to learn keeps one’s mind in the budding stage.” Indeed, Chinese Brush Painting has something to offer for everyone. No prior experience needed. Paint with me this summer and take the lifelong journey into Chinese Brush Painting.

]]>http://visual.uclaextension.edu/course-spotlight-chinese-brush-painting-with-mayee-futterman/feed/0Design II final presentations: fall 2018http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-ii-final-presentations-fall-2018/
http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-ii-final-presentations-fall-2018/#respondMon, 05 Nov 2018 22:56:29 +0000http://visual.uclaextension.edu/?p=7679One amazing benefit of taking Design II: Collateral Communication with Henry Mateo is the opportunity to present your final project at a design studio or cultural institution around Los Angeles. So far, DCA students have been invited to present their work at:

Learn how to hone your designs skills, articulate the success of your designs, and communicate clearly with teams or clients. The research, design, communication and presentation skills learned in this class will help you grow as a leader – whether you become an Art Director or work with one.

Do you have a sample assignment we’ll be working on?

We will be working on one campaign throughout the course, from research to execution. We will explore the history of art direction as well as learn how to fill out a creative brief. The final result of the course will be a completed campaign and pitch. See the sample in the gallery below!

Using your design skills, we will focus the course on bringing a campaign to life with a purposeful and thoughtful combination of imagery, typography, composition, hierarchy, and color. We will also learn how to present your work by articulating how it meets the client’s goals.

What will I take away from this course?

A skillset for researching any design project

Understanding of typography history, how to select a typeface, and how to design the written word

Understanding of color theory, psychological and historical

A keen eye for considering imagery, including illustration and photography

]]>http://visual.uclaextension.edu/course-spotlight-art-direction-bootcamp-with-anya-farquhar/feed/0Final projects – Design II: Collateral Communicationhttp://visual.uclaextension.edu/final-projects-design-ii-collateral-communication-2/
http://visual.uclaextension.edu/final-projects-design-ii-collateral-communication-2/#respondTue, 24 Jul 2018 19:03:01 +0000http://visual.uclaextension.edu/?p=7469Thank you to Henry Mateo and the students of his winter 2018 quarter Design II: Collateral Communication course for sharing their final project presentations! In this advanced course, students create a brand “from soup to nuts” including concept, target audience, brand drivers, logo, letterhead, packaging, and any other collateral the student imagines.

Check out the gallery below:

Congrats to these students on some amazing final projects!

]]>http://visual.uclaextension.edu/final-projects-design-ii-collateral-communication-2/feed/0Course Spotlight: Game-Based Learninghttp://visual.uclaextension.edu/course-spotlight-game-based-learning/
http://visual.uclaextension.edu/course-spotlight-game-based-learning/#respondFri, 01 Jun 2018 17:25:54 +0000http://visual.uclaextension.edu/?p=7415It’s always exciting to offer new elective courses, especially in the burgeoning field of game design and learning. This summer, we’re offering the new 2-unit online course Game-Based Learning. Instructor Randall Fujimoto tell us more about it:

Why is this course important for my design education?

This course is important for design students because of two main reasons: 1) To become familiar with game design in relation to learning, and 2) To understand the design implications of designing for the gameful mindset generation.

Game Design
With approximately 2.2 billion active gamers worldwide, games are fast becoming the most important media of our time. Therefore, any good design education needs to include the study of game design. Game designers are typically interested in designing all aspects of a game, including gameplay, art and animation, environment design, sound and music, and user interfaces, in order to make games engaging and fun. In this course, we look at the design of games not only as it relates to engagement but also, and more importantly for educators, how it relates to learning.

Gameful Mindset
In the U.S., the average 21-year-old person has played an estimated 10,000 hours of video games. The sheer amount of gameplay hours has undoubtedly had an effect on the way that today’s “gamer generation” thinks and learns. They have developed what we call a “gameful mindset,” which describes the unique ways in which gamers think, learn, and live their lives. Anyone who is designing anything for the gamer generation needs to understand how a gameful mindset affects the way these people learn how to use what they are designing. This course can help future designers become familiar with the characteristics of a gameful mindset and how they relate to learning.

Do you have a sample assignment we’ll be working on?

One assignment will have teams working on designing a lesson plan or learning activity centered around using an existing video game to help students learn. In order to design such a lesson plan or learning activity, teams will have to identify one or more learning outcomes and objectives, conduct research on existing video games that can be used for these outcomes and objectives, and then create a design plan that details the entire learning process. Teams will share their completed design plans with the entire class to get feedback and improvement ideas.

What will I take away from this course?

This course will give you a solid knowledge base about the various aspects of game-based learning and how to design various learning activities that utilize games and game-like thinking. The course will cover video games, educational games, game design projects, gamification of courses, and other topics related to game-based learning, including the intrinsic motivations inherent in game-based learning activities.

]]>http://visual.uclaextension.edu/course-spotlight-game-based-learning/feed/0Design IV Student Project Spotlight: Aviva Family and Children’s Serviceshttp://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-aviva-family-and-childrens-services/
http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-aviva-family-and-childrens-services/#respondTue, 22 May 2018 21:28:09 +0000http://visual.uclaextension.edu/?p=7356We’re highlight three of the outstanding group projects created by students of John Beach’s fall Design IV: Advanced Design Practice course.

Students get the opportunity to choose a real life non-profit organization to rebrand, refresh and reorganize the public’s perception of its value. We start with branding, and through web presence, social media and virtually any other method such as (but not limited to) pop up events, exhibitions, advertising, curated exhibitions (all of which the teams design), we look at ways to build awareness, extend and develop funding possibilities, or change social perceptions. The teams leave with an extraordinary brand/look book for their portfolios that chronicles the process.

Check out the students’ work below:

Great work, team!

]]>http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-aviva-family-and-childrens-services/feed/0Design IV Student Project Spotlight: Days For Girlshttp://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-days-for-girls/
http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-days-for-girls/#respondFri, 18 May 2018 16:28:04 +0000http://visual.uclaextension.edu/?p=7313We’re highlight three of the outstanding group projects created by students of John Beach’s fall Design IV: Advanced Design Practice course.

Next up: Days for Girls by Carla Pera and Man Ting Kong.

First John gives us an overview of the course:

Students get the opportunity to choose a real life non-profit organization to rebrand, refresh and reorganize the public’s perception of its value. We start with branding, and through web presence, social media and virtually any other method such as (but not limited to) pop up events, exhibitions, advertising, curated exhibitions (all of which the teams design), we look at ways to build awareness, extend and develop funding possibilities, or change social perceptions. The teams leave with an extraordinary brand/look book for their portfolios that chronicles the process.

Check out the students’ work below:

Excellent work, Carla Pera and Man Ting Kong!

]]>http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-days-for-girls/feed/0Design IV Student Project Spotlight: LA Makerspacehttp://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-la-makerspace/
http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-la-makerspace/#respondMon, 07 May 2018 23:03:04 +0000http://visual.uclaextension.edu/?p=7273It’s our pleasure to highlight some of the outstanding group projects created by students of John Beach’s fall Design IV: Advanced Design Practice course!

First John gives us an overview of the course:

Students get the opportunity to choose a real life non-profit organization to rebrand, refresh and reorganize the public’s perception of its value. We start with branding, and through web presence, social media and virtually any other method such as (but not limited to) pop up events, exhibitions, advertising, curated exhibitions (all of which the teams design), we look at ways to build awareness, extend and develop funding possibilities, or change social perceptions. The teams leave with an extraordinary brand/look book for their portfolios that chronicles the process.

We begin with the team comprised of Shadalene Adamos and Natalie Mizrahi. The name of the non-profit organization the group rebranded is LA Makerspace:

Excellent work, Shadalene and Natalie!

]]>http://visual.uclaextension.edu/design-iv-student-project-spotlight-la-makerspace/feed/0Course spotlight: AR/MR/VR for Immersive Content: Experience, Game & Mediahttp://visual.uclaextension.edu/course-spotlight-ar-mr-vr-for-immersive-content-experience-game-media/
http://visual.uclaextension.edu/course-spotlight-ar-mr-vr-for-immersive-content-experience-game-media/#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 21:18:26 +0000http://visual.uclaextension.edu/?p=7206We’re thrilled to be offering coursework this spring in Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality/Mixed Reality as we ramp up our game design course offerings. Instructor Jason Yim tells us all about what students can expect in this exciting course:

AR/MR will become the next computing paradigm. Just like smart-phones and apps changed human behavior and our connection to technology in a matter of years, AR/MR will have the same global effect. Secondly, designing for AR/MR/VR is very different from print or normal design for screen space. The user experience is played out over 3D space and blends with the physical environment, resulting in its own design language and best practices. And lastly, the case studies and guest speakers in this course will offer access and visibility into some of the world’s biggest brands and clients.

Do you have a sample assignment we’ll be working on?

Students will develop and present a concept for a real-world client and brief in mind. During this process they will create a prototype for user-testing in order to validate their concept. The prototype format will depend on the skill set of the student:
• Non-design students can create a paper mock up
• Digital Designers can create a click-through prototype
• 3D artists can produce a POV video
• Coders can create a working UNITY prototype
We will have a dedicated “user-testing” day for students and guests to review each other’s work and to capture results and insights.

What will I take away from this course?

You’ll feel like you spent 11 weeks IN the industry and not just learning about it from the outside.

Day one will start by giving you hands on access to several AR/VR/MR devices. By the end of the course, you will leave with an appreciation of the real-world challenges and opportunities from case-studies and guest speakers as well as your own personal experience developing, prototyping and testing a concept.